Poll: Most Americans now favor mask mandates to slow Delta's rapid spread  —  hypercontagious Delta variant of the coronavirus continues to fuel  —  a new wave of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations across the U.S. — and as scientists discover that vaccinated people can experience

These corporations just donated to a Republican group that helped create the January 6 mob  —  Judd Legum, Tesnim Zekeria, and Rebecca Crosby … That was an excerpt from robocalls sent on January 5 by the Republican Attorneys General Association (RAGA), through its self-described “policy branch,” the Rule of Law Defense Fund (RLDF).

NYU researchers speak out after Facebook disables their accounts  —  On Tuesday, Facebook suspended the accounts, apps and pages of several New York University researchers who have been using scraping tools to better understand political ads and disinformation on Facebook.

Selfie shows Andrew Cuomo SMIRK moments after he 'grabbed and rubbed trembling assistant's butt' as embattled NY Governor refuses to resign despite prosecutors claiming he sexually harassed 11 women  — A selfie released in the official report into sexual harassment allegations against NY …

Boston Mayor Kim Janey compares vaccine passports to slave papers, birtherism  —  New York City plans to require proof of vaccination for restaurants, gyms  —  Hide Transcript Show Transcript  —  Stay up to speed on all the latest local and national political news.  —  Your Email Address

Obama Significantly Scales Back 60th Birthday Party as Virus Cases Rebound  —  Hundreds of former Obama administration officials, celebrities and Democratic donors had been planning to attend the huge bash on Martha's Vineyard on Saturday.  —  WASHINGTON — The party plans had been months …

Delta infections among vaccinated likely contagious; Lambda variant shows vaccine resistance in lab  —  The following is a roundup of some of the latest scientific studies on the novel coronavirus and efforts to find treatments and vaccines for COVID-19.  —  Delta breakthrough infections likely contagious

Nina Turner Lost to the Redbox  —  How Shontel Brown used questionably legal campaign finance tactics to take a House seat  —  A cardboard cutout likeness of Nina Turner atop a campaign vehicle  —  As recently as June, the special election to replace Housing and Urban Development Secretary Marcia Fudge …

Marist Poll Results & Analysis: Governor Andrew Cuomo  —  The post Marist Poll Results & Analysis: Governor Andrew Cuomo first appeared on Home of the Marist Poll.

Reality Winner's lawyer lays out the case for her freedom  —  Scott speaks with Alison Grinter, a lawyer to some of America's most politically persecuted people, including Reality Winner, whose bombshell NSA leak about Russia's attack on the 2016 election changed the course of our nation's politics.

Shock poll: Charlie Crist leads Ron DeSantis amid COVID-19 surge … Janelle Irwin Taylor  —  Janelle Irwin Taylor has been a professional journalist covering local news and politics in Tampa Bay since 2003.  Most recently, Janelle reported for the Tampa Bay Business Journal.

Virginia Covid patient goes from ‘invincible’ to hospital-bed vaccine advocate … An unvaccinated Virginia man who's been hospitalized with Covid-19 is using social media to urge others to go out and get the shot.  —  Travis Campbell, 43, has been in the hospital for more than a week …

Fauci warns COVID-19 cases may double in delta variant surge  —  Coronavirus cases driven by the delta variant are rising in a “very steep fashion” across the United States and may double in the coming weeks to 200,000 cases a day, Dr. Anthony Fauci said Wednesday.

Scoop: Buzzy media startup Puck launches in beta  —  Puck, a splashy new digital media company, is coming out of stealth mode, Axios has learned.  The company debuted its landing page, puck.news, on Wednesday, and will officially launch its website in September.

Trump asks court to block release of tax returns to Congress  —  Former President Trump's personal attorneys are asking a federal judge to block the release of his tax returns to Congress after the Biden administration issued a legal memo authorizing that the records be handed over to House Democrats …

A $5 Million Fine for Classroom Discussions on Race?  In Tennessee, This Is the New Reality  —  Remove  —  Tennessee aims to levy fines starting at $1 million and rising to $5 million on school districts each time one of their teachers is found to have “knowingly violated” …

Two House Democrats who broke quorum missing from Washington, D.C., reportedly vacationing in Portugal  —  Their vacation does not affect the lack of quorum that the House has in Austin to pass the elections bill.  But it is at odds with Democrats' insistence that they would use their time away …

Mexico to sue U.S.-based gunmakers over flow of arms across border  —  MEXICO CITY — The Mexican government said Wednesday it plans to file legal action against several major U.S.-based gun manufacturers, alleging that lax controls contribute to the illegal flow of weapons over the border …

Mayor Bowser's poor spin about not following her own mask mandate  —  “We all know what the rules says about sitting at a dining table and dining.  Don't be ridiculous. ...  They took a picture of me where dinner and drinks were served.”  — Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D), speaking to reporters, Aug. 3

Tucker Carlson Has Seen the Future, and It Is Fascist Orban's Hungary is the road map for American authoritarianism.  —  In 1919, the progressive journalist Lincoln Steffens visited the nascent Soviet Union and declared, “I have seen the future and it works.”

Top DOJ official drafted resignation email amid Trump election pressure  —  In early January 2021, one top Justice Department official was so concerned that then-President Donald Trump might fire his acting attorney general that he drafted an email announcing he and a second top official would resign in response.

How a tiny legal office inside the Justice Department is tormenting Trumpworld  — The Justice Department's policing of foreign influence is bedeviling Trumpworld figures.  — Rudy Giuliani and the Trump ally Tom Barrack caught prosecutors' attention over foreign dealings.

White woman in viral video says she had no choice but to call police on Black bird-watcher … The white woman who was recorded on video calling police to claim that a Black bird-watcher was threatening her in New York City's Central Park last year said she felt she was backed into a corner.

Iraq War authorization repeal clears key Senate hurdle  —  A key Senate committee voted on Wednesday to repeal two authorizations for the use of military force against Iraq, setting up a full chamber vote later this year.  —  All Democrats and three Republicans on the Senate Foreign Relations …

‘The stuff of which violent insurrections are made:’ Federal judge sanctions Colorado lawyers for 2020 election lawsuit  —  A federal judge in Colorado has sanctioned two lawyers who filed a lawsuit challenging the 2020 election late last year, finding that the case was “frivolous,” …

Rashida Tlaib Accused of ‘Antisemitic Dog Whistling’ in Detroit Remarks  —  Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) was criticized over comments she made in a video that surfaced on Tuesday, with the president of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) accusing her of “ugly antisemitic dog whistling.”

The Myth of the Golden Years  —  “You'll want to read this,” my wife said, handing me the Sunday Boston Globe.  The cover story that week in late September 2020 was about a 62-year-old woman who had colon cancer that had metastasized.  She died in a local hospital; her husband was also in poor health …